Electrohydrodynamic atomization approach to graphene/zinc oxide film fabrication for application in electronic devices

Abstract

Graphene-based composites represent a new class of materials with potential for many applications. Metal, semiconductor, or any polymer properties can be tuned by attaching it to graphene. Here, a new route for fabrication of graphene based composites thin films has been explored. Graphene flakes (<4 layers) and a well-known semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO) (<50 nm particle size) have been dispersed in N-methylpyrrolidone and ethanol, respectively. Thin film of graphene flakes is deposited and decorated with ZnO nanoparticles to fabricate graphene/ZnO composite thin film on silicon substrate by electro hydrodynamic atomization technique. Graphene/ZnO composite thin film has been characterized morphologically, structurally and chemically. To investigate electronic behavior of the composite thin film, it is deployed as cathode in a diode device i.e. indium tin oxide/poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly (styrenesulfonate)/polydioctylfluorene-benzothiadiazole/(graphene/ZnO). The J–V analysis of diode device has shown that at voltage of 1 V, the current density in organic structure is at low value of 4.69 × 10−3 A/cm2 and when voltage applied voltage is further increased; the device current density has increased by the order of 200 that is 1.034 A/cm2 at voltage of 12 V.